Page 22 - MFW March 2024

WARBIRDS
WARBIRDS
WARBIRDS

OVER AWATOTO
OVER AWATOTO
OVER AWATOTO
Saturday 10th - 11th February 2024
Saturday 10th - 11th February 2024
Saturday 10th - 11th February 2024

After a disastrous year, Awatoto Field was back to looking
it’s picture perfect best thanks to the hard work of the
maintenance team. New seating and fences and a well
manicured surface, one of the few side benefits of being
flooded. Set up Friday started off a bit damp, but Saturday
dawned fine and warm with a partially cross wind sea
breeze and flying was continuous throughout the day.

Again we were well supported with some 30+ pilots
registered for the rally and the line up of models was quite
spectacular. Down a bit on numbers as the date clashed
with some other events and our South Island visitors didn’t
make it this time round. It’s interesting how the standard
and size of models has increased over the years. We held
the first Warbirds back around 1997 (?) at the request of
Maurice Job from the Palmerston Nth MAC. They had
been washed out twice whilst trying to hold it I think at
Ohakea and it’s been here ever since. This being our 26th
Warbirds over Awatoto. The pits in those days often held a
lot more models, but they were mostly smaller and a
mixture of scratch built, kits & ARF which were just
becoming popular. What a difference today, overall the
models are larger and more powerful with the majority
from an ARF stable, and the few scratch built one being
something to behold making up an impressive array of
military aviation modelling history.

Members and the public were well catered for with the
three food trucks on site, a step up from the sausage sizzle
and hamburgers previously produced by members.
Convenor and Club President Marty Hughes did a sterling
job of motivating the troops and the field presentation was
picture perfect. Once again Tony Ives undertook the
onerous task of the entry and traffic control and with his
band of helpers did a magnificent job which frankly no-one Top to bottom:
else wants to do but is such an important part of John Clarke’s RNZAF DC3/Dakota...........................................................
proceedings. The public attendance was down a bit this De Havilland Vampire.......................................................................................
year, in part due to the weather conditions on Sunday. A Ryan Grove’s Aermacchi was impressive in the air, this being the ex-Tony
little unfortunate, as this is a once in a year opportunity to Withey aircraft that suffered a flame out and a dip in the river at Warbirds a
few years back .
not only add to the club’s coffers, but possibly the biggest
PR event for aeromodelling in the country. Having said Another Aermacchi this time wearing civillian clothes.
that, all those who did attend, pilots and public alike were Flightline and many of the public watching the displays.
well entertained and from comments received, thoroughly
enjoyed the event which was formally opened by
President Marty with the pilot’s briefing on Saturday
morning.

21